The History of Glowing Glass

Uranium/Vaseline Glass - is the term used to describe any glass that glows green under UV light.

First identified in 1789 by a German chemist it was discovered that if Uranium, usually in Oxide Diuranate form was added to a glass mix before melting this would result in a beautiful green colour.

The addition of uranium dioxide to glass became popular in the 1830s with the interest in uranium glass booming around the 1880s. In the early days, uranium glass was used as a raw material in the manufacture of household items and tableware. However, its use dropped when uranium availability was limited by the Cold War in the years running from the 1940s to the 1990s.

Due to it's glowing properties under UV light Uranium/Vaseline glass has become highly collectible today.

Uranium can be found in green glass, yellow glass, white glass, custard glass and blue glass although green is the most common. On ceramics it is also sometimes used in a glaze form.